Conor Bradley proves Liverpool can manage without Trent Alexander-Arnold in win over Real Madrid | OneFootball

Conor Bradley put in a performance beyond his years as Liverpool continued their perfect Champions League start with a 2-0 win over Real Madrid.

In the build up to this game, there was a bit of focus on Trent Alexander-Arnold. The Englishman is out of contract in the summer, and has been linked with a move to Real Madrid. Los Blancos have reportedly been interested for some time, but as the months wind down on Alexander-Arnold’s contract, the more it becomes a possibility.

But Alexander-Arnold did not start at Anfield, only being fit enough for the bench after a minor injury. In his stead, Bradley started at right-back for the second consecutive match. And maybe Real Madrid will change their mind about which Liverpool right-back to go for next summer.

Bradley had the unenviable task of marking Kylian Mbappe at Anfield on Wednesday night. While Mbappe isn’t in the best run of form, he’s still Mbappe. And when he does turn up, the Frenchman is of course one of the best players in the world. Although Mbappe might be a slightly easier opponent than the injured Vinicius Junior.

That certainly was the case on Wednesday, but because Bradley and Co. made it so. In what was a lively first half, the crowd got off their feet most for a tackle from Bradley. Mbappe looked to be racing through on goal, but in came the Northern Irish defender to clatter the Frenchman as well as getting the ball. A fair tackle and a brilliant one. Bradley seemed to grow in confidence from that, knowing he was going to be just fine.

Bradley made four tackles during his time on the pitch, more than any other Liverpool player. He also won more fouls than any of his teammates with three. Real Madrid were getting frustrated with the 21-year-old and how he was successfully dealing with their team. The Northern Irishman had 69 touches and completed 41 of his 48 attempted passes, while winning eight duels and winning possession nine times — both highs among Liverpool players.

Bradley also played a part in Liverpool’s opening goal. A lot of the work was done by a brilliant run from Alexis Mac Allister, but Bradley was at the heart of the neat one-two with the Argentine.

“This is all about the one-touch from Conor Bradley. That is magic,” Ally McCoist said on commentary.

“It is all about the weight of the pass back to him. The strike is good enough to beat the goalkeeper. That is an excellent goal.”

Bradley was aided by the man alongside him, Ibrahima Konate, who continues to blossom as Virgil van Dijk’s centre-back partner. Konate made two interceptions and one clearance, as well as winning all five of his duels.

The defence as a whole clearly got into Mbappe’s head, as he missed the chance to equalise from the penalty spot. Andy Robertson was the one to commit the foul, bringing down Lucas Vazquez. But Mbappe’s shot was poor, making it an easy save for Caoimhin Kelleher — his third penalty save from four across all competitions for Liverpool (excluding shootouts).

Liverpool did miss a penalty of their own, with Mohamed Salah blasting his shot off the post and wide after being fouled in the box by Ferland Mendy. But Liverpool rarely looked out of control after taking the lead, before Cody Gakpo headed home from a corner to seal the points.

It means Liverpool remain perfect in the Champions League with five wins from five. It’s just the second time the Reds have won their first five games in a major European campaign, and their first win over Real Madrid since 2009.